Fayose is PDP’s candidate for Ekiti election, party insists

ABUJA—AHEAD of June 21 Ekiti State
gubernatorial election, National
Leadership of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP declared yesterday that former
governor Ayo Fayose who won last week's
primary election to defeat others, remains
the party's candidate for the election.
*Ayo Fayose
*Ayo Fayose
In a statement yesterday by PDP National
Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the
party said, "The National Working
Committee (NWC) of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) has received the
report of the Ekiti State Governorship
Primary Electoral Committee.
"After thorough consideration of the
report, the NWC approved the result and
upheld the nomination of Ayo Fayose as
the candidate of the PDP for the June
2014 governorship election in Ekiti State.
"The NWC commended the committee for
the conduct of a peaceful and transparent
exercise and urged all PDP members in
the state, including the other aspirants to
support the candidate of the party to
ensure a successful outing at the guber
election."
13 out of the 14 aspirants contesting for
the ticket were clamouring for consensus,
while Fayose insisted that there must be
primary and he eventually won the
primary with a wide margin last Saturday.
Reacting to the party's position, Fayose,
who spoke through his aide, Mr. Idowu
Adelusi, appealed to those who lost to
put behind them issues before the
primary and let them bury the hatchet,
just as he urged them to work with him
for the success of the party.
He said, "I wish to thank the PDP
leadership and Mr. President for
providing we the aspirants a level play
ground. I thank the party leadership for
upholding my nomination. I promised
with God helping me, I will deliver Ekiti
state to PDP.
"To those who lost, am appealing to them
to bury the hatchet and put the primary
behind and lets work together for the
party to win. The PDP umbrella is very
wide and accomodating. I can assure
them that nobody will lose and I will not
victimise anybody. The interest of the
party is far above any personal interest."
Meanwhile, ahead of Osun State
gubernatorial election slated for August 9,
a former member of the House of
Representatives, Oluwole Oke yesterday
submitted his nomination and expression
of interest forms to contest for the
governorship race, just as he alleged that
Governor Rauf Aregbesola has
disconnected the people of the state
from their resources.